Dara Calleary TD, Minister of State for Labour Affairs at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, last week formally unveiled a collection of books donated by the family of the late Charles J Haughey to the National Museum.
The Charles J Haughey Collection, housed at the Museum of Country Life, National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, comprises 3,800 books which belonged to the former Taoiseach. Minister of State Calleary said the collection “reflected Charles Haughey's life-long interest in Irish art, literature and history.”
Speaking at the event Minister Calleary said: “This collection of fine books which we are formally unveiling here this evening, was part of the late Charles J Haughey’s personal collection. Its core dates from the twentieth century and depicts Irish cultural life. Given this library's focus on Irish life, it is fitting that it is housed in the museum's Country Life Division here at Turlough Park, where it will complement the museum's existing collections. Its location here also reflects the special ties with the town of Mr Haughey's birth.”
The collection includes many signed political biographies and autobiographies of contemporaneous leaders; signed editions from poets and artists; papers of President John F Kennedy; a full run of the publications produced by An Sáirséal agus Dill, and Irish language publications produced by Cló Iar-Chonnachta.
